Pilot downshifting system and method

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are provided for performing a multiple gear downshift of a transmission gear by transiently operating in an intermediate gear. In response to air mass flow not reaching a threshold for CAC self-cleansing for a set duration, the transmission gear may be downshifted from a higher gear to an intermediate gear, and then to a requested lower gear. Downshifting through an intermediate gear may also be controlled based on the gear shift request and maximum air mass flow levels for engine misfire.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/672,604, entitled “PILOT DOWNSHIFTING SYSTEM AND METHOD,”filed on Nov. 8, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,017,217, the entire contentsof which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND/SUMMARY

Turbo charged engines utilize a Charge Air Cooler (CAC) to coolcompressed air from the turbocharger, before it enters the engine.Ambient air from outside the vehicle travels across the CAC to coolintake air passing through the inside of the CAC. Condensate may form inthe CAC when the ambient air temperature decreases, or during humid orrainy weather conditions, where the intake air is cooled below the waterdew point. When the intake air includes recirculated exhaust gasses, thecondensate can become acidic and corrode the CAC housing. The corrosioncan lead to leaks between the air charge, the atmosphere, and possiblythe coolant in the case of water-to-air coolers. Condensate mayaccumulate in the CAC, and then be drawn into the engine at once duringtimes of increased air mass flow, increasing the chance of enginemisfire. Some CACs may have a self-cleanse mode which is activatedduring threshold levels of air mass flow that do not cause misfire.However, if the vehicle is not driven such that it reaches thisthreshold level, condensate may accumulate and then cause misfire bybeing drawn into the engine too quickly when downshifting from a higherto a lower transmission gear at wide open throttle. Air mass flow mayincrease to higher levels, increasing the chance of engine misfire,during multiple gear downshifts.

Other attempts to address engine misfire due to condensate ingestioninvolve avoiding condensate build-up. However, the inventors herein haverecognized potential issues with such methods. Specifically, while somemethods may reduce or slow condensate formation in the CAC, condensatemay still build up over time. If this build-up cannot be stopped,ingestion of the condensate during downshifting, specifically duringdownshifts that skip one or more intermediate gears, may increase thechance of engine misfire.

In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by a methodfor performing a multiple gear downshift in stages, controlling theincrease in air mass flow and condensate purging from the CAC.Specifically, a transmission gear may be downshifted from a higher gearto a lower gear by transiently operating in an intermediate gear beforeshifting to the lower gear. In this way, condensate may be purged fromthe CAC at a lower air mass flow, while in the intermediate gear. Thus,when finally downshifting to the lower gear, engine misfire may notoccur due to increased air mass flow.

As one example, in response to a multiple gear downshift request, atransmission gear may be downshifted from a higher gear to a lower gear.If the requested downshift increases air mass flow above a thresholdlevel, engine misfire may occur if the amount of boost or amountcondensate in the CAC have reached threshold levels. The CAC mayself-cleanse (purge condensate) when air mass flow reaches a thresholdrange. However, if air mass flow remains below the threshold range for athreshold duration, condensate may accumulate in the CAC and thethreshold boost level and/or threshold level of condensate may bereached. Once these conditions have been reached, misfire may be reducedby controlling the execution of a requested multiple gear downshift. Forexample, in response to a multiple gear downshift request that willincrease air mass flow over a threshold level, when air mass flow isless than a threshold range for a threshold duration, the transmissiongear may be downshifted from a higher gear to an intermediate gear, andthen to the requested lower gear. By holding the transmission gear atthe intermediate gear for a duration, condensate may be blown off theCAC and into the engine at a slower rate. Then, when shifting to thelower gear, the increase in air mass flow may not cause engine misfiresince stored condensate has already been purged from the CAC. In thisway, engine misfire may be reduced during multiple gear downshifts byutilizing an intermediate gear to control the increase in air mass flowand resulting condensate purging from the CAC.

It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introducein simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described inthe detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essentialfeatures of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defineduniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description.Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited toimplementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any partof this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example engine system including acharge air cooler.

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart illustrating a method for shifting atransmission gear.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart illustrating a method for performing amultiple gear downshift by transiently operating in an intermediategear.

FIGS. 4-5 show example gear shifting operations during different drivingconditions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description relates to systems and methods for performinga multiple gear downshift of a transmission gear in an engine system,such as the system of FIG. 1. A gear shift request may be generated inresponse to a change in pedal position. A method for shifting atransmission gear in response to varying shifting requests is presentedin FIG. 2. In response to a request to shift to a new gear, thetransmission may upshift to a higher gear, downshift by a single gear,or downshift by multiple gears. A multiple gear downshift may either beperformed directly from a higher to a lower gear or in stages, bytemporarily downshifting to an intermediate gear based on factorsrelated to condensate release in the charge air cooler. A controller mayperform a control routine, such as the routine of FIG. 3, to determineif an intermediate gear may be used, based on engine operatingconditions such as air mass flow levels. The routine may then includeperforming the multiple gear downshift by utilizing the chosenintermediate gear. Example shifting operations are shown at FIG. 4. Inthis way, condensate can be purged at a slower rate from a CAC bydownshifting first to an intermediate gear and then to a lower gear inorder to reduce engine misfire.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example engine 10, which may beincluded in a propulsion system of an automobile. The engine 10 is shownwith four cylinders 30. However, other numbers of cylinders may be usedin accordance with the current disclosure. Engine 10 may be controlledat least partially by a control system including controller 12, and byinput from a vehicle operator 132 via an input device 130. In thisexample, input device 130 includes an accelerator pedal and a pedalposition sensor 134 for generating a proportional pedal position signalPP. Each combustion chamber (e.g., cylinder) 30 of engine 10 may includecombustion chamber walls with a piston (not shown) positioned therein.The pistons may be coupled to a crankshaft 40 so that reciprocatingmotion of the piston is translated into rotational motion of thecrankshaft. Crankshaft 40 may be coupled to at least one drive wheel ofa vehicle via an intermediate transmission system 150. The transmissionsystem 150 may include a multiple fixed gear automatic transmissionhaving a plurality of discrete gear ratios, clutches, etc. In oneexample, the transmission may have only 8 discrete forward gears and 1reverse gear. Further, a starter motor may be coupled to crankshaft 40via a flywheel to enable a starting operation of engine 10.

An engine output torque may be transmitted to a torque converter (notshown) to drive the automatic transmission system 150. Further, one ormore clutches may be engaged, including forward clutch 154, to propelthe automobile. In one example, the torque converter may be referred toas a component of the transmission system 150. Further, transmissionsystem 150 may include a plurality of gear clutches 152 that may beengaged as needed to activate a plurality of fixed transmission gearratios. Specifically, by adjusting the engagement of the plurality ofgear clutches 152, the transmission may be shifted between a higher gear(that is, a gear with a lower gear ratio) and a lower gear (that is, agear with a higher gear ratio). As such, the gear ratio differenceenables a lower torque multiplication across the transmission when inthe higher gear while enabling a higher torque multiplication across thetransmission when in the lower gear. The vehicle may have six availablegears, where transmission gear six (transmission sixth gear) is thehighest available gear and transmission gear one (transmission firstgear) is the lowest available gear. In other embodiments, the vehiclemay have more or less than six available gears.

As elaborated herein, a controller may vary the transmission gear (e.g.,upshift or downshift the transmission gear) to adjust an amount oftorque conveyed across the transmission and torque converter to vehiclewheels 156 (that is, an engine shaft output torque). Changes in thepedal position signal (PP), in combination with vehicle speed, mayindicate to the controller that a change in transmission gear isrequested. For example, as vehicle speed increases, the controller mayupshift a transmission gear (e.g., from a transmission first gear to atransmission second gear). In one example, the controller may downshifta transmission gear when pedal position increases at a constant vehiclespeed. At a relatively constant throttle opening, as vehicle speedincreases, a transmission gear may be upshifted. Then, as pedal positionincreases, more torque demand may be requested, causing the transmissionto downshift a transmission gear. Then, as vehicle speed increases, thetransmission gear may be upshifted again. Alternatively, as PP decreasesat a given vehicle speed, the controller may downshift a transmissiongear (e.g., from a transmission third gear to a transmission second orfirst gear). The vehicle may upshift or downshift by one or moretransmission gears. Under certain circumstances, the vehicle may performa multiple gear upshift or downshift. For example, downshifts that skipone or more intermediate gears may be referred to as multiple geardownshifts. In one example, the vehicle may be traveling in a highergear when the PP increases by a large amount, such as when the pedal isdepressed fully (wide open pedal (WOP)). In this situation, thecontroller may downshift by multiple gears in order to increase enginespeed torque. The lower gears may then result in higher engine speed(RPM) and vehicle acceleration. For example, the controller maydownshift from a sixth transmission gear to second transmission gear.Thus, the transmission may “skip” three gears and downshift by fourgears. In this way, multiple gear downshifts may be responsive to largeincreases in pedal position, such as WOP, as compared to smallerincreases in pedal position with a downshift among two neighboring gears(e.g., 6^(th) to 5^(th)).

As the vehicle downshifts a transmission gear, and the throttle isopened, the engine speed increases. This increases the air mass flowrate (e.g., air mass flow or mass air flow) through the engine. As such,at lower gears, the air mass flow increases. The controller may measureair mass flow from a mass air flow (MAF) sensor 120, which canapproximate the airflow through a charge air cooler. The controller maythen use this information to control other engine components andprocesses, such as gear shifting. This will be explained further belowwith respect to a charge air cooler and FIGS. 2-4.

Controller 12 is shown in FIG. 1 as a microcomputer, includingmicroprocessor unit 102, input/output ports 104, an electronic storagemedium for executable programs and calibration values shown as read onlymemory chip 106 in this particular example, random access memory 108,keep alive memory 110, and a data bus. Controller 12 may receive varioussignals from sensors coupled to engine 10 for performing variousfunctions to operate engine 10, in addition to those signals previouslydiscussed, including measurement of inducted air mass flow from MAFsensor 120; engine coolant temperature (ECT) from temperature sensor112, shown schematically in one location within the engine 10; a profileignition pickup signal (PIP) from Hall effect sensor 118 (or other type)coupled to crankshaft 40; the throttle position (TP) from a throttleposition sensor, as discussed; and absolute manifold pressure signal,MAP, from sensor 122, as discussed. Engine speed signal, RPM, may begenerated by controller 12 from signal PIP. Manifold pressure signal MAPfrom a manifold pressure sensor may be used to provide an indication ofvacuum, or pressure, in the intake manifold 44. Note that variouscombinations of the above sensors may be used, such as a MAF sensorwithout a MAP sensor, or vice versa. During stoichiometric operation,the MAP sensor can give an indication of engine torque. Further, thissensor, along with the detected engine speed, can provide an estimate ofcharge (including air) inducted into the cylinder. In one example,sensor 118, which is also used as an engine speed sensor, may produce apredetermined number of equally spaced pulses every revolution of thecrankshaft 40.

Other sensors that may send signals to controller 12 include atemperature sensor 124 at an outlet of a charge air cooler 80, and aboost pressure sensor 126. Other sensors not depicted may also bepresent, such as a sensor for determining the intake air velocity at theinlet of the charge air cooler, and other sensors. In some examples,storage medium read-only memory 106 may be programmed with computerreadable data representing instructions executable by microprocessorunit 102 for performing the methods described below as well as othervariants that are anticipated but not specifically listed. Exampleroutines are described herein at FIG. 4.

Combustion chambers 30 may receive intake air from intake manifold 44via intake passage 42 and may exhaust combustion gases via exhaustmanifold 46 to exhaust passage 48. Intake manifold 44 and exhaustmanifold 46 can selectively communicate with combustion chamber 30 viarespective intake valves and exhaust valves (not shown). In someembodiments, combustion chamber 30 may include two or more intake valvesand/or two or more exhaust valves.

Fuel injectors 50 are shown coupled directly to combustion chamber 30for injecting fuel directly therein in proportion to the pulse width ofsignal FPW received from controller 12. In this manner, fuel injector 50provides what is known as direct injection of fuel into combustionchamber 30; however it will be appreciated that port injection is alsopossible. Fuel may be delivered to fuel injector 50 by a fuel system(not shown) including a fuel tank, a fuel pump, and a fuel rail.

Intake passage 42 may include throttle 21 having a throttle plate 22 toregulate air flow to the intake manifold. In this particular example,the position (TP) of throttle plate 22 may be varied by controller 12 toenable electronic throttle control (ETC). In this manner, throttle 21may be operated to vary the intake air provided to combustion chamber 30among other engine cylinders. In some embodiments, additional throttlesmay be present in intake passage 42, such as a throttle upstream of thecompressor 60 (not shown).

Further, in the disclosed embodiments, an exhaust gas recirculation(EGR) system may route a desired portion of exhaust gas from exhaustpassage 48 to intake passage 42 via EGR passage 140. The amount of EGRprovided to intake passage 42 may be varied by controller 12 via EGRvalve 142. Under some conditions, the EGR system may be used to regulatethe temperature of the air and fuel mixture within the combustionchamber. FIG. 1 shows a high pressure EGR system where EGR is routedfrom upstream of a turbine of a turbocharger to downstream of acompressor of a turbocharger. In other embodiments, the engine mayadditionally or alternatively include a low pressure EGR system whereEGR is routed from downstream of a turbine of a turbocharger to upstreamof a compressor of the turbocharger. When operable, the EGR system mayinduce the formation of condensate from the compressed air, particularlywhen the compressed air is cooled by the charge air cooler, as describedin more detail below.

Engine 10 may further include a compression device such as aturbocharger or supercharger including at least a compressor 60 arrangedalong intake manifold 44. For a turbocharger, compressor 60 may be atleast partially driven by a turbine 62, via, for example a shaft, orother coupling arrangement. The turbine 62 may be arranged along exhaustpassage 48. Various arrangements may be provided to drive thecompressor. For a supercharger, compressor 60 may be at least partiallydriven by the engine and/or an electric machine, and may not include aturbine. Thus, the amount of compression provided to one or morecylinders of the engine via a turbocharger or supercharger may be variedby controller 12.

Further, exhaust passage 48 may include wastegate 26 for divertingexhaust gas away from turbine 62. Additionally, intake passage 42 mayinclude a compressor recirculation valve (CRV) 27 configured to divertintake air around compressor 60. Wastegate 26 and/or CRV 27 may becontrolled by controller 12 to be opened when a lower boost pressure isdesired, for example.

Intake passage 42 may further include charge air cooler (CAC) 80 (e.g.,an intercooler) to decrease the temperature of the turbocharged orsupercharged intake gases. In some embodiments, charge air cooler 80 maybe an air to air heat exchanger. In other embodiments, charge air cooler80 may be an air to liquid heat exchanger. CAC 80 may also be a variablevolume CAC. Hot charge air (boosted air) from the compressor 60 entersthe inlet of the CAC 80, cools as it travels through the CAC, and thenexits to enter the engine intake manifold 44. Ambient air flow fromoutside the vehicle may enter engine 10 through a vehicle front end andpass across the CAC, to aid in cooling the charge air. Condensate mayform and accumulate in the CAC when the ambient air temperaturedecreases, or during humid or rainy weather conditions, where the chargeair is cooled below the water dew point. When the charge air includesrecirculated exhaust gasses, the condensate can become acidic andcorrode the CAC housing. The corrosion can lead to leaks between the aircharge, the atmosphere, and possibly the coolant in the case ofwater-to-air coolers. Increased airflow through the CAC may purgecondensate from the CAC. However, if too much condensate is introducedat once into the engine, it may increase the chance of engine misfiredue to the ingestion of water.

In some cases, some intake air may bypass the compressor via the CRV 27.Unboosted air (air that doesn't pass through the compressor) may bebelow atmospheric pressure and therefore not condense in the CAC. Amanifold pressure may be measured by sensor 122 and sent as an absolutemanifold pressure signal, MAP, to the controller. The controller may usethe MAP, along with the air mass flow, to determine an amount of boostedair (boost level). There may be a threshold boost level in which anamount of boosted air above this level may result in engine misfire.Specifically, as the boost level increases, condensate in the CAC mayincrease. Thus, the threshold boost level may correspond to an amount ofcondensate that may cause misfire if blown off into the engine tooquickly (threshold level of condensate). The controller may determine anamount of time, or threshold duration, for the boosted air to reach thislevel, based on the average air mass flow and MAP.

Air mass flow may increase or decrease, depending on vehicle operatingconditions. These conditions may include: whether or not the vehicle istowing a load and which transmission gear the vehicle is operating in.For example, air mass flow may be higher at a second transmission gearthan a fourth transmission gear. In this way, as a transmission geardecreases (when downshifting), air mass flow increases. Further, airmass flow may increase to a greater level when downshifting by multiplegears. For example, when downshifting from a sixth to a fourthtransmission gear, the air mass flow may increase to a first level.However, when downshifting from a sixth to a second transmission gear,the air mass flow may increase to a second level, greater than the firstlevel.

As air mass flow increases, airflow through the CAC increases. Thisairflow may reach a level such that condensate is stripped from the CACand into the intake manifold of the engine. Depending on the CAC design,a threshold level or range of air mass flow may cause condensate to bepurged from the CAC. This threshold range or level may be low enough sothat the condensate is blown off at a slow enough rate and misfire maynot occur. In this way, each CAC may have a threshold range of air massflow in which the CAC will self-cleanse, without causing misfire.

Additionally, there may be a second threshold level of air mass flowwhich purges condensate from the CAC and causes engine misfire if enoughcondensate has accumulated in the CAC (e.g., threshold level ofcondensate or threshold boost level). The air mass flow may reach thislevel during certain engine operating conditions, such as during atip-in or during a large downshift. For example, during a multiple geardownshift at WOP, air mass flow may increase above the second thresholdlevel; blowing off condensate from the CAC at an increased rate andincreasing the chance engine misfire if enough condensate hasaccumulated. As the amount of downshift (number of transmission gears)increases, the air mass flow and chance of engine misfire increases.Different amounts of downshifting may result in the air mass flowincreasing to below or above the second threshold level. For example, asexplained above, downshifting from a sixth to a fourth transmission gearmay increase the air mass flow to a first level. This first level may bebelow the second threshold level and not cause misfire. However, whendownshifting from a sixth to a second transmission gear, the air massflow may increase to a second level. The second level may be above thesecond threshold level and cause engine misfire.

Depending on the vehicle and engine operating conditions, the air massflow may reach the threshold range for self-cleansing more or lessoften. If the threshold level (or range) for CAC self-cleansing is notreached within a threshold duration, d1, a threshold boost level may bereached (as described above). If the air mass flow then reaches thesecond threshold level, engine misfire may occur. For example, if theair mass flow has not reached the threshold range for the thresholdduration d1 and the vehicle downshifts from a sixth transmission gear toa second transmission gear in response to WOP, engine misfire may occur.However, if the air mass flow has been above the threshold range withinthe threshold duration d1 and the vehicle performs the same downshift,engine misfire may not occur. In this way, if the air mass flow is belowa threshold range for a threshold duration and air mass flow increasesabove the second threshold level, engine misfire may occur.

During conditions when air mass flow may increase above the secondthreshold and cause engine misfire, measures may be taken to increaseair mass flow more slowly, decreasing the rate of condensate purging.This may be accomplished by a method for downshifting multipletransmission gears (e.g., downshifting by more than one transmissiongear) in stages. For example, instead of shifting directly from a highergear to a lower gear and possibly causing misfire, the controller mayshift the transmission from a higher gear to an intermediate gear, andthen to a lower gear. The intermediate gear may be held briefly (e.g.,several seconds) before shifting to the lower gear. This may allow airmass flow to increase to a first, lower rate, allowing condensate to beblown off into the engine at a slower rate. Thus, the CAC may be quicklycleansed at the intermediate gear while reducing potential for misfire.In one example, condensate may be completely purged from the CAC at theintermediate gear. In another example, an amount of condensate may bepurged at the intermediate gear such that the remaining amount ofcondensate may be purged at the lower gear without causing misfire.Thus, the duration in which the intermediate gear is held may be basedon the amount of condensate in the CAC, the boost level, and therequested gear downshift. For example, at a higher boost level andlarger amount of CAC condensate, the duration at the intermediate gearmay be longer. In another example, when the requested gear downshift issmaller (e.g., downshifting by three gear rather than four gears), theduration at the intermediate gear may be shorter.

There may be many different combinations and situations for transientlyoperating in an intermediate gear when downshifting a transmission gearfrom a higher gear to a lower gear. Various combinations of higher,intermediate, and lower transmission gears may be used, depending on thedownshift request and engine operating conditions. These engineoperating conditions may include CAC condensate level, boost level, andair mass flow. In one example, the transmission may downshift from asixth transmission gear to a fifth, intermediate, transmission gear, toa second gear (may be written as 6-4-2). In this example, theintermediate gear is the fourth transmission gear. In another example,the intermediate gear may be the fifth (6-5-2) or third (6-3-2)transmission gear. In a second example, the transmission may downshiftfrom a fifth transmission gear to a fourth, intermediate, transmissiongear, to second transmission gear (5-4-2). In another example, theintermediate gear may be the third transmission gear (5-3-2). Similarcombinations may be used with an alternate higher gear (e.g., fourthtransmission gear) and different intermediate and lower transmissiongears.

In some cases, the downshift from the higher gear to the lower gear maynot increase the air mass flow above the second threshold level andcause misfire. In this situation, the controller may not shift thetransmission to the intermediate gear, but directly to the lower gear.In the cases in which an intermediate gear is needed, the selection ofintermediate gear may be based on the level (or amount) of condensate inthe CAC and/or the boost level. For example, if the amount of condensatein the CAC is high and the vehicle is to shift from the sixth to thesecond transmission gear, the intermediate gear may be higher (such asfive vs. three). In this example, shifting 6-3-2 may cause misfire,whereas shifting 6-5-2 may increase air mass flow at a slower rate,reducing the chance of misfire. In this way, the intermediate gear maybe closer to the higher gear when a boost level and level of condensatein the CAC is high. Alternatively, the intermediate gear may be closerto the lower gear when the boost level and level of condensate in theCAC is low.

In some embodiments, the controller may adjust engine torque whenperforming a multiple gear downshift in stages by transiently operatingat an intermediate gear. Engine speed and air mass flow may increaseboth when shifting to the intermediate gear and when shifting to thefinal lower gear. In order to go unnoticed by the vehicle operator,engine torque may be adjusted at the intermediate gear if the throttleis not fully open. For example, adjustments to torque may only takeplace if the downshift is performed at part throttle when additionaltorque may be requested by opening up the throttle. If the downshiftmaneuver is performed at WOP, then a trade off of torque andacceleration rate may be made to minimize the risk of misfire. Forexample, some degradation of vehicle performance due to downshifting instages may be less than the degradation and impact to emissions if amisfire occurs due to ingestion of condensate.

In this way, during select conditions and in response to a request todownshift a transmission gear from a higher gear to a lower gear, thetransmission may transiently operate at an intermediate gear beforeshifting to the lower gear. As discussed above, these conditions mayinclude operation below a threshold range of air mass flow for athreshold duration, d1. The threshold duration d1 may be based on thethreshold boost level, the average air mass flow (or air mass flow overa time period), and the MAP.

Turning now to FIG. 2, an example method 200 for shifting a transmissiongear is depicted. In response to a request to shift to a new gear, thetransmission may upshift to a higher gear, downshift by a single gear,or downshift by multiple gears. A multiple gear downshift request mayeither be performed directly (from a higher to a lower gear) or instages, by briefly downshifting to an intermediate gear.

At 202, method 200 includes estimating and/or measuring engine operatingconditions. These may include driver torque demand (based on a pedalposition), engine speed (Ne) and load, ECT, boost level, ambienttemperature and pressure, MAF, MAP, and current transmission gear. Theroutine determines the current gear and pedal position at 204. Thisinformation may be used at 206 to determine whether shifting to a newgear is required. If shifting is not required, the controller maintainsthe current gear at 208 and the method ends. However, if shifting to anew gear is required, the method proceeds to 210 where a downshiftrequest is confirmed. If a downshift to a lower gear is not required,the routines determines the required higher gear at 212 and then shiftsa transmission gear from the current gear to the higher gear.Alternatively, if a downshift is required at 210, the routine determinesat 214 whether the required downshift is a multiple gear downshift(e.g., downshift from a sixth transmission gear to a third transmissiongear). If only downshifting by a single gear is required, the routinedownshifts the transmission by one transmission gear at 216. However, ifa multiple gear downshift is required, the routine determines at 218 howmany gears to downshift the transmission gear by and subsequently, thefinal lower gear.

At 220, the method includes determining whether the multiple geardownshift request may be performed directly or in stages, by brieflydownshifting to an intermediate gear. Downshifting by shifting to anintermediate gear may be based on boost level, air mass flow, CACcondensate level, and the requested gear downshift. Details on thismethod are presented at FIG. 3. If shifting to an intermediate gear isnot needed, the routine directly downshifts from the higher gear to thelower gear at 224. The timer for determining threshold duration d1 maybe reset if air mass flow increases above the threshold range.Alternatively, if shifting to an intermediate gear is requested, theroutine shifts from the higher gear to the intermediate gear at 222. Thecontroller may hold the transmission at the intermediate gear forduration d2 and then shift to the lower gear. The condensate level inthe CAC may be updated and the timer for threshold duration d1 may bereset. Additional details on the procedure at 222 are presented at FIG.3.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example method 300 for performing a downshift of atransmission gear from a higher gear to a lower gear. During selectconditions, the transmission may transiently operate in an intermediategear before shifting to the lower gear. At 302, method 300 includesdetermining the air mass flow (rate), CAC conditions (inlet and outlettemperature, inlet and outlet pressure, condensate level, etc.), ambientconditions (ambient temperature and humidity), MAP, and boost level. Anamount or level of condensate in the CAC may be determined based on thisdata. In one example, a condensation formation value may be mapped toCAC outlet temperature and engine load. Engine load may be a function ofair mass flow, torque, accelerator pedal position, and throttleposition, and thus may provide an indication of the air flow velocitythrough the CAC. For example, a moderate engine load combined with arelatively cool CAC outlet temperature may indicate a high condensationformation value, due to the cool surfaces of the CAC and relatively lowintake air flow velocity. The map may further include a modifier forambient temperature. In still other examples, the ratio of CAC pressureto ambient pressure may be used as the indicator since there may beconditions where intake MAP is below atmospheric pressure, and engineload is relatively small, but pressure before the throttle is well aboveambient pressure (˜36 in Hg).

In another example, a rate of condensate formation within the CAC may bebased on ambient temperature, CAC outlet temperature, air mass flow,EGR, and humidity. The ambient humidity value used to calculatecondensate formation may either be assumed to be 100% or determined fromvarious sensors. In one example, the ambient humidity may be determinedbased on the output of a humidity sensor coupled to the engine. Inanother example, humidity may be inferred from a downstream UEGO sensoror obtained from infotronics (e.g., internet connections, a vehiclenavigation system, etc.) or a rain/wiper sensor signal. If the humidityis not known (for example, if the engine does not include a humiditysensor), the humidity may be set to 100%. The ambient temperature andhumidity may be used to determine the dew point of the intake air, whichmay be further affected by the amount of EGR in the intake air (e.g.,EGR may have a different humidity and temperature than the air from theatmosphere). The difference between the dew point and the CAC outlettemperature indicates whether condensation will form within the cooler,and the mass air flow may affect how much condensation actuallyaccumulates within the cooler. An algorithm may calculate the saturationvapor pressure at the CAC outlet as a function of the CAC outlettemperature and pressure. The algorithm then calculates the mass ofwater at this saturation vapor pressure. Finally, the condensationformation rate at the CAC outlet is determined by subtracting the massof water at the saturation vapor pressure condition at the CAC outletfrom the mass of water in the ambient air. By determining the amount oftime between condensate measurements, the controller may determine theamount (or level) of condensate within the CAC since a last measurement.The current condensate amount in the CAC is then calculated by addingthe estimated condensate value to the previous condensate value and thensubtracting any condensate losses since the last calculation (that is,an amount of condensate removed. for example, via purging routines).Condensate losses may be assumed to be zero if the CAC outlettemperature was above the dew point. Alternatively, the amount ofcondensate removed may be modeled or determined empirically as afunction of air mass flow and integrated down with each software taskloop.

Returning to FIG. 3, at 304 the method determines threshold duration d1,based on threshold boost level, MAP, and average air mass flow. Averageair mass flow may be the average air mass flow since the previousmeasurement or average air mass flow over a set time range. As discussedabove, threshold duration d1 may be the duration it takes for the boostlevel to reach a threshold boost level. Once the threshold boost levelis reached, engine misfire may occur if air mass flow increases abovethe second threshold level. As such, the threshold boost level maycorrespond to an amount of condensate that may cause misfire if blownoff into the engine too quickly (threshold level of condensate). In oneexample, a lower threshold boost level may result in a shorter thresholdduration d1. In another example, a higher average air mass flow mayresult in a longer threshold duration d1. In this way, the controllermay use the threshold boost and/or condensate levels, along with averageair mass flow and MAP, to determine threshold duration d1. In someembodiments, the threshold duration d1 may be further based on the rateof or an amount of condensate formation in the CAC and ambient weatherconditions. For example, conditions such as rain or high humidity thatmay increase condensate formation may cause threshold duration d1 todecrease.

The method at 306 includes determining the time since air mass flow wasabove a threshold range. As discussed above, the threshold range of airmass flow may be the level of air mass flow at which the CAC willself-cleanse. Specifically, when air mass flow reaches or increasesabove the threshold range of air mass flow, condensate may be strippedfrom the CAC into the engine without causing misfire. At 308, theroutine determines if air mass flow has been below the threshold rangefor the threshold duration d1. If air mass flow has not met theseconditions (e.g., air mass flow has been above the threshold rangewithin the threshold duration d1), the routine continues to 310 were thetransmission is shifted from a higher gear to a lower gear, asrequested. However, if the air mass flow has not increased above thethreshold range for the threshold duration d1, the routine continues onto 312. At 312, the routine determines if the current downshift request(e.g., amount of downshift) will increase the air mass flow above thesecond threshold level. If not, misfire may not occur and thetransmission gear may be shifted from the higher gear to the requestedlower gear, without transiently operating in an intermediate gear.However, if the downshift request will increase air mass flow above thesecond threshold level, shifting to an intermediate gear may beperformed to avoid engine misfire.

At 314, the controller determines the intermediate gear. In some cases,there may only be one choice of intermediate gear. For example, whenshifting from a fourth to a second transmission gear, the thirdtransmission gear may be the only option for the intermediate gear. Inother cases, there may be multiple intermediate gear options and theselection of intermediate gear may be based on the level (or amount) ofcondensate in the CAC and/or the boost level. For example, if the amountof condensate in the CAC is high and the vehicle must shift from thefifth to the second transmission gear, the intermediate gear may behigher (such as four vs. three). In this example, shifting 5-3-2 maycause misfire, whereas shifting 5-4-2 may increase air mass flow to afirst, lower rate (at the intermediate gear), reducing the chance ofmisfire. The gear change may further be based on a target air mass flowrate at the newly selected gear so that condensate may be purged in sucha manner as to reduce the chance of misfire.

After determining the intermediate gear at 314, the routine downshiftsthe transmission gear from the higher gear to the chosen intermediategear at 316. The routine at 316 may also include adjusting enginetorque. Torque adjustments may include, at part throttle, increasingthrottle opening to maintain requested torque (limited by the maximumairflow that limits the ingestion of condensate level below the misfirerate). In the event a shift to a lower gear may result in more torquethan requested, reducing throttle opening or retarding spark advance maybe used to match the driver demanded torque level. The intermediate gearis held for duration d2 at 318. In one example, the duration d2 may be apre-set value used for every downshift. In another example, duration d2may be based on the amount of condensate in the CAC, the boost level,and the requested gear downshift. For example, at a higher boost leveland larger amount of CAC condensate, the duration at the intermediategear may be longer. In another example, when the requested geardownshift is smaller (e.g., downshifting by three gears rather than fourgears), the duration at the intermediate gear may be shorter. Afterholding the intermediate gear for duration d2, the routine at 320includes downshifting from the intermediate gear to the requested lowergear. Finally, at 322, the routine may reset the timer for duration d2and update the condensate and boost levels. In this way, in response toa multiple gear downshift request, when air mass flow is less than athreshold range for a threshold duration and the multiple gear downshiftrequest will increase air mass flow over a second threshold level, thetransmission may be downshifted from a higher gear to an intermediategear, and then to a requested lower gear. As such, condensateintroduction from the CAC into the engine may be controlled, reducingengine misfire events.

Now turning to FIG. 4, graph 400 shows example transmission gearshifting operations during different driving conditions. Specifically,graph 400 shows a change in pedal position (PP) indicative of anoperator torque demand at plot 404, a corresponding change in vehiclespeed is shown at plot 406, and a change in engine speed (Ne or RPM) isshown at plot 408. A change in transmission gear is shown at plot 402where 6 is the highest available gear and 1 is the lowest availablegear. Further, graph 400 shows air mass flow (rate) at plot 410, boostlevel at plot 412, CAC condensate level at plot 414, and MAP at plot416.

Prior to t1, pedal position may be at a low position, requesting a smallamount of torque and vehicle speed (plot 406). As a result, the vehiclemay begin in a transmission gear 1 (plot 402). At time t1, a vehicleoperator may slowly apply pressure to the accelerator pedal, resultingin a gradual increase in pedal position (plot 404), vehicle speed (plot406), and engine speed (plot 408). The increase in pedal position andvehicle speed may generate a request to upshift the transmission gear.As pedal position continues to increase from time t1 to time t2, thetransmission gear is shifted into higher gears (plot 402). At time t2,pedal position becomes constant and the transmission gear is maintainedat transmission gear 6.

At time t3, pedal position increases (plot 404) and, as a result, adownshift request is generated. A multiple gear downshift may berequested, based on the pedal position increase. The transmission may berequested to downshift by two transmission gears, from transmission gear6 to transmission gear 4. At time t3, the boost level (plot 412) andcondensate level (plot 414) remain below their threshold levels (422 and424, respectively). Air mass flow (plot 410) has remained below athreshold range (or first threshold level) 420 for a duration shorterthan threshold duration d1. Thus, in response to the air mass flow ratenot being less than a threshold range for threshold duration d1, thetransmission gear is shifted from a transmission gear 6 to transmissiongear 4, without operating in an intermediate gear. Downshifting duringthe increase in pedal position at t3 results in an increase in vehiclespeed (plot 406) and engine speed (plot 408). Additionally, in responseto downshifting from higher transmission gear 6 to lower transmissiongear 4, air mass flow increases between time t2 and time t3, reducingthe condensate level in the CAC (CAC cleansing or purging). Boost levelmay decrease proportionately with condensate level to reset the boostlevel and reflect the amount of condensate remaining in the CAC aftercleansing. Since boost level was below the boost level threshold 422 att3, engine misfire may not occur during the condensate purging.

Between time t3 and t4 a tip-out may occur, causing the transmission todownshift a transmission gear and air mass flow to decrease. During thistime, vehicle speed may continue to decrease. As pedal position againincreases (plot 404), the transmission gear may be upshifted to highergears, causing engine speed to decrease and air mass flow to decreasebelow threshold range 420 at time t4. The timer for duration d1 may bereset at this point. Between time t4 and time t5, air mass flow (plot410) remains below threshold range 420 and MAP (plot 416) remains aboveatmospheric pressure 426, causing condensate level (plot 414) and boostlevel (plot 412) to continue to increase.

At time t5, pedal position increases rapidly, possibly indicating a WOPcondition. This may generate a downshift request from the currenttransmission gear 5 to transmission gear 2. At this time, air mass flowmay have been below the threshold range 420 for longer than thresholdduration d1. Thus, in response, transmission gear 5 is first downshiftedto intermediate transmission gear 4. Air mass flow increases to a levelabove threshold range 420 but below second threshold level 418. As aresult, condensate is blown off the CAC and into the engine, causingcondensate level (plot 414) to decrease below a threshold level ofcondensate 424 before time t6. The intermediate transmission gear 4 isheld for duration d2. Then, at time t6, the transmission gear isdownshifted from intermediate transmission gear 4 to lower transmissiongear 2. Engine speed and vehicle speed increase with each downshift. Airmass flow increases above second threshold level 418 (plot 410), blowingoff the remaining condensate from the CAC. Since condensate leveldropped below the threshold level of condensate 424 before theadditional increase in air mass flow, engine misfire does not occur.

In this way, transiently operating in an intermediate transmission gearallowed condensate to be blown off at a lower air mass flow, reducingthe chance of misfire. If an intermediate gear were not used for thedownshift at time t5, misfire may have occurred when downshiftingdirectly from transmission gear 5 to transmission gear 2. In someembodiments, the duration d2 may be held such that all the condensate inthe CAC is blown off at the intermediate gear before downshifting to thelower gear. In other embodiments, duration d2 may be held such thatcondensate falls below a threshold for misfire (such as threshold levelof condensate 424) before downshifting from the intermediate gear to thelower gear.

Returning to graph 400, another sudden increase in pedal position occursat time t7, after an amount of time has elapsed. Before time t7, pedalposition (plot 404), vehicle speed (plot 406), and engine speed (plot408) are at relatively constant levels. Air mass flow (plot 410) remainsbelow threshold range 420 and boost level (plot 412) and condensatelevel (plot 414) are steadily increasing. Just before time t7, boostlevel increases above boost threshold level 422 and condensate levelincreases above the threshold level of condensate 424. At time t7, pedalposition increases suddenly and a downshift request is generated. Thedownshift request at t7 may be from transmission gear 4 to transmissiongear 2. In this example, downshifting from transmission gear 4 totransmission gear 2 may not increase air mass flow above secondthreshold level 418 and result in engine misfire. Thus, even though airmass flow has remained below threshold range 420 for threshold durationd1, the transmission gear is downshifted directly from transmission gear4 to transmission gear 2 without operating in an intermediate gear. Inan alternate example, the downshift from transmission gear 4 totransmission gear 2 may increase air mass flow above the secondthreshold level 418, resulting in first downshifting to an intermediategear (in this case, transmission gear 3).

In the current example at time t7, air mass flow increases to a levelbetween threshold range 420 and second threshold level 418 whendownshifting from transmission gear 4 to transmission gear 2. Thisincrease in air mass flow strips condensate from the CAC and into theengine, decreasing the condensate level in the CAC. In response to thedownshift at time t7, engine speed and vehicle speed increase.

Thus, downshifting a transmission gear may be controlled based on airmass flow. During a first condition, as shown at time t5 in graph 400,when air mass flow is less than a threshold range for a thresholdduration and downshifting from a higher gear to a requested lower gearwill increase air mass flow over a second threshold level, atransmission gear may be shifted from the higher gear to the lower gearby transiently operating in an intermediate gear before shifting to thelower gear. Alternatively, during a second condition, as shown at timet3 in graph 400, when air mass flow is not less than a threshold rangefor a threshold duration, a transmission gear may be shifted from ahigher gear to a lower gear when requested, without operating in anintermediate gear. In some examples, a multiple gear downshift may notincrease air mass flow above a second threshold level such that itcauses misfire. Thus, during a third condition, as shown at time t7 ingraph 400, when air mass flow is less than a threshold range for athreshold duration and downshifting from a higher gear to a requestedlower gear will not increase air mass flow over a second thresholdlevel, a transmission gear may be shifted from a higher gear to a lowergear, without operating in an intermediate gear.

Additional transmission gear shifting operations are shown at FIG. 5.Herein, graph 500 illustrates three different downshifting operationsand the resulting increase in air mass flow and amount of condensatepurged from the CAC. Specifically, a change in transmission gear isshown at plot 502, air mass flow is shown at plot 504, and the amount ofcondensate purged from the CAC (e.g., condensate leaving the CAC) isshown at plot 506. Three different downshifting examples are shown (A,B, and C). Prior to time t1, the vehicle may be in transmission gear 5with a relatively constant air mass flow in all three examples. In afirst example, A, a transmission gear may be downshifted directly fromtransmission gear 5 to transmission gear 1 (plot 502 a) at time t1. Inresponse, air mass flow may increase above a second threshold level 508(plot 504 a). As air mass flow increases, the amount of condensatepurged from the CAC increases (plot 506 a). Since air mass flowincreases quickly to a high level, condensate may be blown off at anincreased rate. As a result, a larger amount of condensate may be purgedfrom the CAC between time t1 and time t2. Since air mass flow increasesabove second threshold level 508 and blows off a large amount ofcondensate at once, engine misfire may occur in this example.

In a second example, B, the transmission gear may be downshifted fromtransmission gear 5 to an intermediate transmission gear 3 (plot 502 b)at time t1. In response, air mass flow may increase to a level between afirst threshold level 510 and second threshold level 508 (plot 504 b).The increase in air mass flow causes condensate to be purged from theCAC (plot 506 b). However, since air mass flow is lower than in firstexample A, condensate may be purged at a slower rate. As a result, lesscondensate may be purged from the CAC between time t1 and time t2. Theintermediate gear may be held for a duration, from time t1 to time t2.Then, at time t2, the transmission gear may be downshifted from theintermediate transmission gear 3 to lower transmission gear 1. Air massflow may increase above second threshold level 508 (plot 504 b), purgingthe remaining condensate from the CAC. Only a small amount of condensateis purged from the CAC after time t2. Thus, since most of the condensatewas purged with a smaller air mass flow at the intermediate gear, enginemisfire may not occur. In an alternate example, the intermediate gearmay be held for a slightly longer duration to allow all the condensateto purge form the CAC before downshifting to the lower gear. This mayfurther decrease the chance of engine misfire.

While transmission gear 3 was chosen as the intermediate gear in secondexample B, other intermediate gears could have been used. For example,in a third example, C, the transmission gear may be downshifted fromtransmission gear 5 to an intermediate transmission gear 4 (plot 502 c).In this this example, the intermediate gear is closer to the higher gear(transmission gear 5). In response, air mass flow increases to a levelbetween a first threshold level 510 and second threshold level 508 (plot504 c), but below the air mass flow level in second example B (plot 504b). Condensate is purged from the CAC at a slower rate than in the firsttwo examples, due to the lower air mass flow level. Thus, between timet1 and time t2, less condensate is purged from the CAC (plot 506 c). Attime t2, the transmission gear is downshifted from the intermediatetransmission gear 4 to lower transmission gear 1. Air mass flow mayincrease above second threshold level 508 (plot 504 c), purging theremaining condensate from the CAC. A larger amount of condensate ispurged form the CAC after time t2 than in the first two examples.However, since a portion of the total condensate in the CAC was purgedwhile in the intermediate gear, engine misfire may not occur. Inalternate examples, the intermediate gear may be held for a longerduration to further decrease the amount of condensate in the CAC andreduce the chance of engine misfire.

In this way, downshifting a transmission gear may be controlled inresponse to pedal position and air mass flow to reduce engine misfireevents. In response to a multiple gear downshift request, the downshiftmay performed directly (from a higher to a lower gear) or in stages, bybriefly downshifting to an intermediate gear. If air mass flow is belowa threshold range for a threshold duration and a downshift request isreceived that will increase air mass flow above a second thresholdlevel, the downshift may be performed in stages, using an intermediategear. However, if air mass flow is not below a threshold range for athreshold duration, or the downshift request may not increase air massflow above the second threshold level, the controller may perform thedownshift directly, shifting from the higher transmission gear to thelower transmission gear, without utilizing an intermediate gear. Thus,based on air mass flow, threshold duration d1, and the specificdownshift request, downshifting may be controlled to improve engineperformance. By first downshifting to an intermediate gear during selectconditions, the increase in air mass flow may be controlled to a levelthat safely purges condensate from the CAC without causing misfire.

Note that the example control routines included herein can be used withvarious engine and/or vehicle system configurations. The specificroutines described herein may represent one or more of any number ofprocessing strategies such as event-driven, interrupt-driven,multi-tasking, multi-threading, and the like. As such, various acts,operations, or functions illustrated may be performed in the sequenceillustrated, in parallel, or in some cases omitted. Likewise, the orderof processing is not necessarily required to achieve the features andadvantages of the example embodiments described herein, but is providedfor ease of illustration and description. One or more of the illustratedacts or functions may be repeatedly performed depending on theparticular strategy being used. Further, the described acts maygraphically represent code to be programmed into the computer readablestorage medium in the engine control system.

It will be appreciated that the configurations and routines disclosedherein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments arenot to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variationsare possible. For example, the above technology can be applied to V-6,1-4, 1-6, V-12, opposed 4, and other engine types. Further, one or moreof the various system configurations may be used in combination with oneor more of the described diagnostic routines. The subject matter of thepresent disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations andsub-combinations of the various systems and configurations, and otherfeatures, functions, and/or properties disclosed herein.

1. A method for an engine, comprising: boosting intake air through acompressor of a turbocharger; direct injecting fuel into a cylinder ofthe engine; and in response to airflow through a charge air cooler and arequest to downshift a transmission gear from a higher gear to a lowergear, shifting the transmission gear from the higher gear, to anintermediate gear, and then to the lower gear, where the transmissiontransiently operates at the intermediate gear and engine torque isadjusted at the intermediate gear if an engine throttle is not fullyopen.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting enginetorque only if the downshift is performed at part throttle conditions,wherein the airflow through the charge air cooler is an air mass flow.3. The method of claim 2, wherein the air mass flow is below a thresholdrange for a threshold duration.
 4. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising operating at the intermediate gear when the request todownshift the transmission gear will increase the airflow above a secondthreshold level.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating at theintermediate gear is further responsive to condensate in a charge aircooler being above a threshold level.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereinthe intermediate gear is held for a duration.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the duration is one of a set duration and an amount of time fora charge air cooler condensate level to decrease below a thresholdlevel.
 8. The method of claim 3, wherein the threshold duration is basedon a threshold boost level, manifold pressure, and the air mass flow. 9.The method of claim 3, wherein the threshold range of air mass flow isbased on an air mass flow at which the charge air cooler willself-cleanse.
 10. The method of claim 4, wherein the second thresholdlevel is based on an air mass flow at which condensate is purged fromthe charge air cooler and causes engine misfire if one or more of athreshold boost level and threshold level of condensate has beenreached.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate gear ischosen based on one or more of a level of condensate in the charge aircooler and a boost level.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the requestto downshift the transmission gear is a multiple gear downshift request.13. The method of claim 12, wherein the multiple gear downshift requestis responsive to a large increase in pedal position, including wide openpedal.
 14. A method for an engine, comprising: generating condensate ina charge-air-cooler (CAC) of the engine; and in response to a multiplegear downshift request and based on estimated condensate formation inthe CAC, when air mass flow is less than a threshold range for athreshold duration and the multiple gear downshift request will increaseair mass flow over a second threshold level, downshifting a transmissionfrom a higher gear to an intermediate gear to purge condensate, and thento a requested lower gear.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein theintermediate gear is held for a duration, the duration increasing withincreasing boost level and amount of condensate in the CAC.
 16. Themethod of claim 14, wherein the threshold duration decreases withdecreasing threshold boost level and increasing average air mass flow.17. The method of claim 14, wherein the threshold range of air mass flowis based on an airflow level which strips condensate from the cCAC andinto an intake manifold of the engine.
 18. The method of claim 14,wherein the second threshold level is the air mass flow which purgescondensate from the CAC and causes engine misfire if a threshold levelof condensate has been reached.
 19. The method of claim 14, wherein theintermediate gear is closer to the higher gear when a boost level andlevel of condensate in the CAC is high and the intermediate gear iscloser to the lower gear when the boost level and level of condensate inthe charge air cooler is low.
 20. A method for an engine, comprising:during a first condition, when an air mass flow is less than a thresholdrange for a threshold duration, shifting from a higher gear to arequested lower gear by transiently operating at an intermediate gearbefore shifting to the lower gear; during a second condition, when anair mass flow is not less than a threshold range for a thresholdduration, shifting from the higher gear to a lower gear when requested,without operating in the intermediate gear; and selecting between thefirst and second condition based on charge-air-cooler conditions. 21.The method of claim 20, wherein the first condition further includeswhen shifting from the higher gear to the requested lower gear willincrease air mass flow over a second threshold level.